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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3091, 25 May 1881, Page 2

On Tuesday Her Majesty the Queen entered upon the 62nd year of her age, a period of life that has been exceeded by only eleven previous sovereigns of England, namely, Henry I, who lived to the age of 67 ; Henry 111., who lived to 65 years ; Edward 1., who lived to be 67; Edward 111., who attained 65years; Queen Elizabeth, who reached 69 years ; James 11., who lived 68 years ; George 1., 67 years; George 11., 77 years; George 111.. 82 years ; George [V., 68 years; and William IV., who lived to be 72 years. On June 20 next Her Majesty will have reigned over this country 44 years, a period which has not been exceded by more than four of our English Sovereigns, viz.:—Henry 111., who reigned 56 years; Edward 111., who re gned 50 years; Queen Elizabeth, who reigned 45 years; and George 111., who reigned for the long period of 60 years. In the enjoyment of excellent health there is every reason to hope that Queen Victoria will long live to reign over her subject, whose pride it is that her name is never mentioned throughout the civilised world cave in terms of admiration, sffaction, and respect as a Christian woman and as a Queen.

In our fourth page will be found the result of the tenders for works in Waipawa County and also brief reports of the several race meetings which took place throughout the colony yesterday.

Typhoid fever has broken out in a malignant form at Tapanui, owing, it is said, to the use of cess-pits. The Borough Council has been urged to enforce the earth-closet system, but without avail.

Pigeon breeding ought to be a profitable industry in a small way. There were two hundred bivds bougbfc at Is 6d each for the pigeon mfttpJi {it 1% aditfo yeatopd»|r,

Seven acres and a quarter of land situated about a imio and a quarter from Christ church were sold the other day in that oitv in fifty-two lots for £7410. Sir Francis Dillon Bell,' tha AgentGeneral, has been created a K.C.M.G., and Chief Ju3tice Prendergast baa had the honor of Knighthood conferred upon him. Mr Justice Gillies presided at the Shalrespeare Club entertainment in Dunedin, and in his opening remarks suggested that a, cry for Shakespeare's works as text-books in our schools would be better than some other cries raised in that connection. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning Robert McNamara, Robert Flood, Alfred Stanley, and James McMillan, were charged with drunkenness, and each fined 5s and cost, or 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labor. It is reported (says the Christchurch Telegraph) that overtures have again been made to Mr Reader Wood by Mr Whitaker to join the Ministry, but that he positively refuses, and intimates that next session he will be in opposition. A proclamation taking, for the purposes of the Wellington-Wainuiomata water supply, certain lands in the Hutt, Wainuiomata, and I.owry Bay Districts, and vesting the same in the Wellington City Council, is gazetted. The Education Department is going to keep a black list. The Minister has sent a circular to the several Education Boards askjna , them to furnish him with a list periodically of teachers who have been dismissed for disgraceful conduct. Three " violent" deaths (i.e., resulting from other than " natural" causes) occurred in New Zealand last month, all in Dunedin and all due to " accident or negligence," viz., one '' crushed by machinery," one from scalding, and one from suffocation. Several carts and other vehicles plying for hire within the borough have their licensed registered numbers so indistinctly marked that, we understand, the Inspector of Cabs intends to take proceedings to enforce the bye-law in that " case made and provided." Mr Angus McKay was the successful tenderer for the erection of Messrs Beck and flour mill at Hastings. This mill with the machinery will cost about £1,300, and when finished will, we trust, give increased impetus to wheat growing on the plains. It has b?en currently reported during the last few days that Mr ;j. T. Carr is to be appointed the Manager of the Hawke's Bay railway, thus combining the offices of . engineer and manager. On enquiry we have ascertained that nothing official is , known concerning any change of existing arrangements. " Sinbad," writing , on the Wanganui Handicap, said :—" The weights for the Wanganui Steeplechase are to hand. Lonehand should win it should he prove in a jumping humor ;if not, I like King Don best, and consider that he has most to fear from Lady Mary and Chandler.' , Mr farmer's horse Venture never appears to have entered into his calculations. The match for £50 between Mr Pell's Inanga, with sst 71bs up, and Mr Little's Pioneer, with Bst lOlbs up, was ran at Hastings yesterday. All Clive appeared to have turned out to witness the contest. Inanga won easily, and, delighting in her light weight, was not content with winning but went round the course three times, or over four miles, before she could be pulled up.

The treasurer of the Taradale pigeon matches yesterday handed over the following sums to the winners of the three events:—To Mr Elliot, Trial Stakes,first prize, £10; to Mr J. G. Wilson, second prize, £2; to Mr W. Hallett, Grand Handicap, £14 8s ; to Mr J. Leonard, second prize, £3 12s; to Mr Evett, Taradale Handicap, £13 ; to Mr C. Kennedy, second prize, £2.

Some severe comments were made at the absence of the Napier Rifle Volunteer company at the parade yesterday in honor of the Queen's birthday, only some six members putting in an appearance. General orders had been issued to all Napier volunteers to parade on Clive Square, and the disobedience of these instructions does not reflect or: iit upon the discipline of a company thatke3ps away on an occasion of this sort. The. feu dejoie had to be omitted from the general salute in consequence.' We hear that the Rifle Volunteer Company will be reported to His Excellency the Governor.

The Herald has apologised in the matter of refusing to take the telegraphic report of Sir George Grey's Auckland speech. Our extraordinarily enterprising contemporary says that it would have taken the message if it had known that it would only have cost five shillings and sixpence. Speaking of the " unfortunate situation" of morning papers the Herald says " we know to our cost that s'iy other paper can copy with impunity the telegrams for which we pay." The Herald copies every telegram that appears in the evening paper, but we do not complain, because it is one of the rules of the Association to which we have both subscribed. If the Herald does not Jike it; if it be too expensive an arrangement to suit its slender purse, it can withdraw from the Press Association, and leave room for a more enterprising journal to take its place.

The Eeynolds end Pollard Pinafore Com. pany have, since their first appearance on Friday last had one interrupted success. On Monday the house was crowded to excess, the matinee yesterday afternoon was largely attended, and last night the house was again overflowing. There has been no company in Napier only playing one piece which has received anything like the patronage accorded to these talented little people, and that they have succeded in amusing and entertaining the crowds which have attended has been evidenced by the hearty appplause which has followed many portions of their performance. We have already indicated the various successes of the different performers, but where all strive so thoroughly to do their utmost to make the entertainment a success it is almost inviduous to make any distinctions. Never before was a ship manned by so hearty and vigorous a crew, or one in whica uniform merit so nearly levels all distinctions. There is to be a special feature in to-night's performance; the gallant captain and his humble lover will play a violin duet.

The pigeon match at Taradale yesterdaywas well attended. The shooting took place on the old cricket ground, and all the arrangements for the match were admirable. The ground was marked out, and everything ready when the competitors and visitors arrived, and there were plenty of birds, in fact everything was carried out in a way to make this meeting an example to others who undertake the arrangement of such matches. For the first event, the Trial Sweetstakes, there were twelve entries at £1 each; three birds each, with a twenty, five yards ripe. Five succeeded in shooting two out of the three birds, and in shooting off J. Hliott won, J. G. Wilson being second and receiving £2 from the stakes. The great event of the day, the Grand Handicap, was quickly commenced. There were eighteen acceptances, at £1 each. Mr Hal'ett succeeded in killing six out of the seven birds, and was declared the winner. There were five ties for second prize, which, after a struggle, was riate< * by J Leonard, who received one-fifth ot the stakes. The Taradale Stakes, a sweep of £1 each, brought out fifteen competitors, and J. O. Evett won, killing his, three birds straight away. There were three ties for second prize and in shooting off C. Keynes won. There were several matches arranged afterwards with a thirty yards rise, and the shooting continued until the birds gave out. During an interval in the shooting the competitors and their friends adjourned* to the Greentneadows Hotel, where a first-class cold collation awaited them. Mr McCartney may be congratulated on having brought off the most successful " Tournament of Doves" yot lejd in thfg neigkbovudi9o&

Ths imports of Great Britain for 1880 were £408,990,000 and her exports (exclusive oi foreign produce re-exported) £223,810,500; both these totals show a very considerable increase over those of the two preceding years.

1 he farmers of Leicestershire have sustained fearful losses by the ravages of liverfiukea umonget their sheep, and now it is stated that there are but few sound sheep in the county. The disease has spread to horses, cattle, hares, and rabbits, and even fowls are affected by it. The greatest mortality is amongst in-lamb ewes, which are dying weekly in hundreds.

A very young Church of England preacher in Melbourne has succeeded in making a name for himself. He has been denouncing as heathens all who do not keep Easter according to the letter of the canon. Some of his congregation have demurred to his dictum, and these he has further denounced as " jellyfish Chrietians," stating that any Christian who neglects to obey the church's direction to partake of the sacrament of the holy communion upon Easter Day is no better than an infidel; because Christ said, "Hethatobeyethnottha church let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican."

The Wanganui Chronicle is informed that a Dunedin gentleman, whose portrait might possibly have been noticed by visitors to the Melbourne Exhibition, is the happy possessor of a gold medal bearing the stamp of the Royal Victorian Mint, and a certificate, which runs as follows :—" Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, April, 1881. First class award, section 34 ; exhibit 967. P.F. D , Esq. Dear Sir—l have the honor to inform you that the jury of ladies have awarded your portrait, exhibit 967, section 34, the only gold medal awarded in this class for beauty and style." Here follow signatures, which prove that a practical joke has been perpetrated.

The chairman of a country school committee a day or two ago had to forward a communication to the Wellington Board of Education, and he addressed his letter thus:—"The Board of Education, 0.P.5.0." He evidently thought there was only one Education Board in the world, for he omitted to mention the name of the place to which he wished the letter to go. The words, " The Board of -Education," were scrawled almost on the top rim of the envelope, and " 0.P.5.0." was written in the middle thereof. Notwithstanding the singular manner in which the epistle was addressed, it did reach its destination.

The Portland Investigator quotes from one of Moody's sermons thus: —" If a young lady going home to-night should be spoken to by some drunken men, how alarmed she would be ; but did you ever think that in that lost world libertines and drunkards and murderers shall be your companious P" It adds that Bey. Mr Hopp?, referring , to this and other similar passages in Mr Moody's sermons, said in his pulpit that it was a very sad thought that the man who indulges in suah revolting ideas and expressions was the most popular evangelist of the day ; and that this fact showed that, with all our boasted progress, the masses are still, in matters of religion, "at the barbaric stage."

London Truth reminds those alarmed at the prospect of Gladstone's coming legislation on the subject of land that the Premier is himßelf a landlord. Mr Gladstone owns nearly 7000 acres in Flint and Lancashire. In fact the landlord interest is pretty well represented in the Cabinet. The Duke of Argyle owns 175,000 acres, rental over £50,000; Lord Hartington's father, 200,000 acres and £180,000 a year; Lord Spencer, 27,000 acres and £46,000 a year; Lord Kimberley, 11,000 acres and £25,000 a year; Lord Northbrook, 10,000 acres and £12,000; Mr Dobson, 3000 acres and £3500. Lord Huntly, who has just enrolled himself in the ranks of the Administration, is lord of 90,000 acres and £27,000 a year.

Probably few of our readers are aware that date coffee, that is coffee made from the date frnit, is slowly but surely superceding to a large extent in England and the Continent, the use of the article at present made from the well-known berry. We notice by London papers that eminent physicians give the date coffee the preferA ence as'EfVnolesome and pleasant article of diet, indeed superior to the ordinary coffee in every reepect, and large companies have been formed in England, France and Germany for its manufacture which must be a lucrative undertaking—as one of these companies advertise in the London Telegraph a dividend of £3 per £5 share. Here is an opening worthy the attention of seme of enterprising capitalises.

I was reading over a list of typographical errors in an old serial the other day (says a writer in Vanity Fair). One was an announcement in a Ripon paper, where a line of a report of a public meeting , found its way in among the births, to this effect—" On the 3rd instant, at Ellsington, the wife of Mr Terry, of a eon, he spoke indistinctly, but was understood to say that on the 6th instant, at Biidgata, the wife of Mr Joseph Lonsdale, of a daughter." There was another from a Glasgow paper. " Last Saturday a poor woman in King-street was safely delivered of one sergeant, two corporals, and thirteen rank and file." A third came home to my own susceptibilities. A passage in the Psalms, " Princes having persecuted me without a cause," was misprinted, " Printers having persecuted me."

According to a London paper a French chemist asserts that he has concocted a substance by means of which tenants in Ireland or elsewhere who will not pay their renta may be evicted without difficulty, and without the expense attendant on legal procedings. The mixture is in the form of a powder. A small quantity of it sprinkled before sunrise on parts of the land adjacent to the tenant's dwelling will render it absolutely impossible for any human being to remain within half a mile of the spot where the sprinkling has taken place for at least seven days, when the process should, if necessary, be repeated. The effect of the powder is to produce violent nausea and other feelings of so uncomfortable a kind as to be quite unbearable. It is, however, not dangerous to life and produces no injurious effects on cattle. Under arrangements the inventor is making, Irish landlords wi'l soon be able to buy the powder at any respectable chemist's shop in Dublin at a reasonable price. Land leaguers will, he thinks, also find it useful for the purpose of getting rid of obnoxious agents. If used impartiallly and in sufficient quantities it might, indeed, secure some very striking and unexpected results.

A correspondent at Plymouth writes to a London paper:—A few weeks ago an advertisement appeared in the Western Morning News for an English governess to reside abroad. Among those who answered the advertisement was the daughter of a naval officer living atPlympton, who subsequently received a visit from a lady who wae lodging at Newton, and who stated that she wished to engage a young lady to go to St. Petersburg and instruct three children in English. The young lady's father, on applying to the Russian Embassy, to which he had been referred, received such assurances as removed all scruples, and a fortnight ago nhe went to St. Petersburg. On her arrival there she was astonished at being taken to the Winter Falace, shown the apartments she was to occupy, and next day was introduced to the Emperor, and by him taken to his wife, the Princess Dolgourouki, and their three young children. The Czar explained to Miss J. that it was his desire the children should be taught English by the companionship of an English lady like Lerself, whose conversation would familiarize them, with the language, and that he and the Princess desired her to be on affectionate terms with the children, only she was not to kiss them. A splendid retriever came into the room, and going up to the new arrival, licked her hand. Calling the attention of the Princess to this incident, the Czai observed that it was a happy omen of the friendly feeling which he hoped would exists bet'TOft Migg f, and feff

The patents of the Singer sewing machine having expired, anybody can now manufacture them.

France and Spain have forbidden the Republic of Andorra to start a fashionablo gambling hell.

The throe first Wranglers at Cambridge this year are stated to be all practical abstainers from alcohol and tobacco.

The revised New Testament is printed in paragraphs, the chapters and verses not being indioated except in the margin.

One of the heroes of Rorke's Drift, named Cassidy, has been sentenced to a month's imprisonment for larceny, at Brighton.

Mr Brush, the young inventor, is in reoeipt of an income of 900 dollars per day from royalties upon his patented light.

The students of the St. Petersburg and Moscow Universities have opened subscriptions for a silver wreath for the tomb of the Czar.

It is stated that peasants are flocking to St. Petersburg from all parts of the country, on a pious pilgrimage to the spot where the Emperor fell.

The Eight Honorable the Minister of Justice in the Dominion Parliament called an opponent" A foul, falso, malicious, and a convicted slanderer and liar."

A lady recently obtained a private audience with the Pope and warned him that the day and hour were fixed for the murder of himself and Cardinal Pecci.

A league, called " The London Munioipal Bsform League," has been formed, the object of which is to obtain a representative municipal government for the whole of London.

The Bible which sturdy John Brown read in prison he presented to J. F. Blessing, of Cbarlestown, Virginia. In it he wrote: —" There is no commentary in the world so good in order to a right understanding of this blessed book as an honest, ohildlike, and -teachable spirit."

According to a despatch from Paris, the famine whioh prevails in some seo f ?ons of Russia is terrible in its effects. In the villages people die of starvation every day, and men rob and pillage for the sole object of being imprisoned, where, at least, they are fed at the expense of the State.

There seems every reason to believe that the 300,000 guineas which the Wesloyan Methodist community haa attempted to raise as a thanksgiving fund will be realised. Already £187,600 has been received, and the further amounts promised will bring the total to upwards of £295,000.

A "Union of Prayer has recently been formed in France for the " purpose of obtaining from our Lord, through the Intercession of the Immaculate Virgin, the return of the religious congregations to France, the liberty of worship and of Catholic education, the triumph of the Church and the conversion of her enemies."

Every night before James Gordon Bennett goes to bed he receives, no matter in what part of the globe he may be, a resumk of the contents of the New "York Herald for the next day, with the headings of the principal articles. If no answer is received from him by 2.30 a.m. it is supposed that he has no suggestions to make, and the paper goes to press. When he is in Europe these cable dispatches often coat lOOdols. for one night's budget. Bennett's instructions are never to save money.

Mr Carlyle's severest critic, and a crif'c of hj.s own school, says the St. James' Gaxette,, was the old parish roadman at Ecclefechan. " Been a long time in the neighborhood ?" asked an American traveller on the outlook for a sight of the sage. '• Been here a' me days, sir." "Then you'll know the Carlyles ? ,? " " Weel that! A ken the whole o' them.. There was, let me see," he said, leaning on his shovel, and pondering, " there was Jock, he was a kir:l o , throughitber sort o' chap, a doctor, but not a bad fellow Jock—he's died, mon." "And there was Thomas," said the enquirer, eagerly. " Oh, ay, of coorse, there's Tarn, a useless munestruck chap, that writes books and talks havers. Tarn stays maistly up in London. There's naething , in Tarn; but mon, there's Jamie, owre in the Newlands —there's a chap for ye ; he's the mono' that family. Jamie take mair swine into Ecclefechan market than ony ither farmer in the pairish."

Roland Hill was always annoyed when there happened to be any noise in the chapel, or when anything occurred to divert the attention of his hearers from what he was sayirg. On one occasion, a few days before his death, he was preaching to one of the most crowded congregations that ever assembled to hear him. In the middle of his discourse he observed a commotion in the gallery. For some time he took no notice of it, but finding it increasing he paused in his peimon, and, looking in the direction in which the confusion prevailed, he exclaimed : " What is the matter there ? The devil s;ems to have got among you." A plain country-looking man immediately started to his feet, and, addressing Mr Hill in reply, said: " No, eir, it ain't the devil as in doing it; it's a fat ladr wot's fainted; and she's a werry fat 'un,"sir, as don't seem likely to come to again in a hurry." " Ob, that's it, is it ?" observed Mr Hill, drawing his hand across his chin; " then I beg the lady's pardon— and the devil's too."

Corea is hardly a desirable country to reside in, judging from the following paragraph, which is clipped from the Japan Mail : —" By all accounts the Japanese residents of Fusan are having anything but a pleasant time this New Tear. The co'i is reported to be so intense that no possible precautions can gainsay it, r.id as the people lie shivering in their wooden domiciles, the roaiing of the hungry tigers helps to freeze their already torpid bloor 1 . Up to the present time the tigers have contented themselves with inactive menace, so far as the Japanese are concerned, but the inhabitants of the neighboring Corean villages are not equally fortunate, and from many of them terrible tales of the maneater's raids come to comfort the exiles. Native thieves, too, are apparently quite as nimble and daring in Corea as in Tokio, but so far the policeman—that much maligned product of national progress —has not yet betrayed his countrymen's confidence, so that the merchants of Fusan have not yet added burglary to their nightly discomforts."

A case of " playing at marriage" has just been decided by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and the result should be a warning to thougtless young people who indulge in such foolish performances. A young couple were married in the presence of a larere party, as a scene in some private threatricals, and a legal friend of the parents notified them that the marriage was actual instead of fictitiouts. The case was taken through the several courts to the Supreme Court, and Justice Folger, who was talked of for Secretary of the Treasury, released them ; but in his opinion clearly defined what constitutes a marriage in the State of New York as follows:—"By the law of this State a man and woman who are competent to marry each other, without going before a mininter or magistrate, without previous public notice given, with no form or ceremony, civil or religious, and with no record or written evidence of the act kept, and merely bywords of present contract between them, may take upon themsplves relations of husband and wife, and be bound to t?emeelves, to the state and society as such ; and if after that the marriage is denied, proof of actual co-habitation as husband and wife, acknowledgment and recognition of each other to friends and acquaintances and public as such, and the general reputation thereof, will enable a court to presume that there was in- the beginning an actual lona fide marriage."

The Liverpool Mercury of February 19th sa y P : " A expedition by rail via Hudson's Bay and Smith's Sound, is among the possible of future exploration. For the first time, the idea of weking icfl ft traction bed for locomotives baa been aoted on in tb§ Golf of Finland, qra«l ffi fob fHtet 9l «I 9

navigation of the great sea which stretches from Denmark to St. Petersburg is stopped by the ice. The setting , in of the frost always "locks up" vast stores of goods awaiting shipment, and leads to a stagnation of trade, whfeb. is severely felt when the winter is protracted. In a flight of genius some Russian engineer hit upon " a happy thought." If ships could not plough the billows of the Gulf of Finland in the winter months, why not the locomotive ? The idea was seized upon, and a line of rails has been laid down from the island of Cronstadt to Oranienbaum, a port on the coast of the province of St. Petersburg, the distance between the two places being some 15 miles. The experiment seems to have proved successful. The formal opening of the " line" took place on Sunday, February 13th, a gala party starting from Oranienbaum. When half the journey to Cronstadt had been accomplished the train was brought to a standstill whilst, in true Russian fashion, a service of prayer was held. The regular traffic was to be opened on Monday, when an outlet would thus be provided for an immense store of produce and other goods that had been accumulated at Cronstadt when navigation was so unexpectedly closed by the ice laet year."